Rwanda

Located in East-Central Africa

Landlocked, but located on Lake Kivu

Well known for its lush countryside and arable land

Hutu population first arrived from Congo in the 10th Century (900s)

Tutsis arrived in the 15th Century and conquered the Hutus (1400s)Tutsis created a feudal system Hutus became serfs Tutsis maintained their superiority and feudal

system until the arrival of the Europeans in the 19th Century (1800s)

The difference between the two would come to focus on wealth, determined by number cows

Traders first arrived in 1858

Germans arrived in 1890 after the Berlin Conference

The Mwami, or Tutsi kings, accepted Germans without a fight Germans ruled the

territory until 1918Belgians appointed as the

protector by the League of Nations

The Tutsi kings were allowed to continue to ruleTutsis represented only 15% of the population

Only Tutsi males were educated Coffee was established as a cash crop ID cards were required to be carried at all times

Made it impossible to change from Hutu to Tutsi based on wealthy

Hutu resistance was violently suppressed – amputation was a standard punishment

Hutus began speaking out against inequalities in the 1950s

The death of the king prompted many Hutus to rebelHutus began fighting against Tutsis throughout

the countryHutus successfully overthrew the government

and gained control Beginnings of independence

1960 – Elections were held after the Hutu Revolution Gregoire Kayibanda was

elected Prime Minister 1961 – Parliament abolished

the Tutsi monarchy and declared Rwanda to be a republic

July 1, 1962 – Belgium is pressured by the UN to grant Rwanda its independence

Kayibanda served as President and was re-elected in ‘65 and ‘69

1964 – Exiled Tutsis invade Rwanda and attempt coupHutu army defeats rebels and respond by killing

Tutsis 1973 – President Kayibanda is overthrow in a

military coup by Juvenal Habyarimana Habyarimana operates as a dictator

1990 –Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by Paul Kagame (Tutsi), attacks to gain control of the government 1993 – UN brokers a deal to share power between

the two and peacekeepers are sent to Rwanda

Directions: With a partner, brainstorm the answers to the following questions:

1.What is the historical relationship between the Hutus and the Tutsis?

2.What in Rwanda’s history could have contributed to the genocide?

3.What event do you think was the most influential in the years before the genocide?

April 1994 – President Habyarimana’s plane is shot down

Systematic killing of Tutsis and moderate Hutus begins immediately

Rwandan Patriotic Front begins to fight against Hutu ArmyCountry dissolves into civil war Hutus flee Rwanda for neighboring Burundi and the Congo

http://www.millecollines.net/

UN troops remained until 1996 Tutsis and Hutus continued to fight over the

borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

May 2003 – A new constitution was ratified August 2003 – RPF leader Paul Kagame is elected

president of Rwanda Kagame has been accused of censoring opposition

Paul Kagame preparing to vote

2008 GDP Per Capita = $42764% literacy rate

The average student is in school until the age of 9 Average primary school has 66 students for every

teacher 17% urban population, 83% rural 2.1% population growth rate per year Average life expectancy =41 years of age Doctors = 1 per 10,000 people

Directions: With a partner, brainstorm the answers to the following questions

1.Is Rwanda Developed, Developing, or Least Developed?

2.How has Rwanda’s history affected its current status?

3.What is the biggest problem facing Rwanda today?

With a partner/small group: Identify at least 2 problems that Rwanda has suffered as a result of imperialism – Be sure to identify how it is connected to imperialism!